What can you tell me about hydrazine and drag racing?

[Sandman]

Anyone remember (I think) Tony P's fuel tank explosion during a finishline inteview? The car had been shut down for quite a while, the body was up, then BOOM!, it grenaded the fuel tank. I always suspected there was something fishy about that. Anyone know for sure?

 

[jimbo]

It's widely considered to be the primary factor in Don Prudomme's US Nats 5.63 when everyone else was 2 tenths slower. I don't recall Snake definitively saying yes or no and from reading posts from racers back in the day, opinions are divided. Some say Snake ran nitrous/nitro; Snake himself said the nitrous bottle was a decoy along the lines of Bernstein's 'terrible towel'. Others say Snake hit on a tune and a clutch setup that just clicked, hence the .63.

But whatever. Some things are better off left alone and hydrazine, as everyone found out, is one of them.

IMHO, BS on the hydrazine in this case. Tuneup and clutch!

 

[GumbyWVU]

IMHO, BS on the hydrazine in this case. Tuneup and clutch!

And probably a good chassis set up too.

 

[65 Goatboy]

I vaguely remember about drag racing history and an alternative fuel that I think is called hydrazine, but cannot remember more.

Does this fuel have the potential for more power than nitro? Is it more toxic or unstable?

Was it ever legal anywhere? Any history lesson appreciated.

It's always fun to watch someone poke a stick in a hornets nest sitting in a lawn chair a hundred yards away.